Since we were little, we were taught how our lives should look like. You are born, you go to school and finish college, you get married and then you have (and raise) children. And of course, all of us have seen our parents do that, but how come that nobody ever told us, or gave us some lessons on how to do that the best way possible?

Planning a family is a very serious and complex task – probably one of the most difficult tasks in your life. So, you need to know straight away that this should (and will) take a lot of your time and energy. Here are the basic 4 questions you should start with.

Is parenthood for me?

This is probably the most common question people ask themselves. Of course, our primal instinct has always been reproducing, and many of us have always been able to see ourselves as parents. But, when the time for it comes, we start to worry.

Being a parent is extremely fun. It is also satisfying in a way only parents can understand. Even though parenting may sometimes seem extremely difficult, everything falls into its place once you become a parent.

Of course, no one said it is going to be easy – it will demand time, energy and money. And not to mention the stress factor, since parents are always scared that they might be doing something wrong. All in all, having a child is a huge life-changing experience because once you become a parent, you are no longer responsible only for yourself.

Ask yourself:

How often do you spend time with children and do you enjoy it?

What parenting methods of your parents do you find most interesting? What would you change?

How did you feel while answering these questions?

It is simple: parenthood is not for everyone. Further, you need to consider how many children you would like to have. Some people like having a lot of kids, while there are those who wish to focus all of their attention on only one child. Also, parents with busy working schedules may find having a lot of kids too overwhelming.

Being a parent should be a beautiful experience. No matter how many kids you decide to have, you should do your best to try and always be patient. If you decide to have only one child, or you simply don’t feel comfortable with the idea of suddenly expanding your family, there are numerous actions you can take. You may opt for various birth-control methods, or consider vasectomy. However, if you decide on the latter, make sure you consult professionals like Dr Haddad who will make sure that the procedure is the right one for you. Whatever you decide, remember that it is not up to your parents, friends, church or even the expectations you grew up with to decide – it is up to you and you alone.

What should you know before getting pregnant?

If you want to avoid getting overwhelmed when your doctor asks you: “Are you charting your BBT?” or anything similar, you need to do your homework and go through all the necessary medical terms. Getting pregnant needs preparation, while being pregnant requires a lot of tracking, analysis and tests if you want everything to go smoothly.

As a conclusion, the answer to this question is: everything.

How long does it take to get pregnant?

There is no precise rule how long it will take you to conceive, but we can tell you how long it typically takes, and how to speed it up a bit.

While the majority of couples usually get pregnant within 3 months, it can take you longer if you are older or have some bad habits that are fertility-unfriendly (drinking, smoking, drugs, high caffeine intake, unhealthy diet etc.). And now, let’s get down to numbers. Of all the couples that are trying to conceive, 30% get pregnant in about one month, 59% in about three months, 80% in about six months, 91% in about three years and 95% in about four years.

If you want to get pregnant faster, you should first figure out when are you going to ovulate and then schedule your attempts accordingly. It would be best to start trying 2-3 days before you start ovulating.

How to “afford” a child?

Of course, besides your patience, time and effort, a child is going to cost you money. A lot of it. Studies have shown that new parents spend up to 10 000$ just during the first year of their baby’s life. Here are some of the most common pregnancy-associated costs.

Pregnancy

While being pregnant, you will need to get a couple’s health insurance policy with childbirth cover, nursing pads, belly bands, prenatal vitamins, probiotics and maternity clothing.

Labor and delivery

For labor, you will need a back massager for counter-pressure, a nursing bra, herbal sitz spray, maxi pads and a family health insurance with pediatric covers.

After birth

Your baby and you are going to need a lot of things, and trust us, none of them are cheap. That’s why you should make a good savings plan in advance.

Sure, planning everything out is difficult, but all your worries are going to disappear once you see that beautiful tiny face.